Believe it or not it is just two weeks since we started the search for a new manager and we now have in place what I believe to be an excellent choice in Keith Bird. When we set off what we were looking for were the following attributes, a proven record of developing youth, someone with a scouting network that would look both up and down the league pyramid, a long term appointment and someone that we believed was capable of delivering both the Clubs short term and long term ambitions. We also wanted a link between the old and new Management Teams. Jason Bourne was looking to enter the Management side of Football, Keith wanted continuity between the past and present, Jason wants to learn about Management at Senior level, Keith wanted someone to mentor, so I consider the Club more than fortunate to have both of these guys as part of the new Management Team at TWFC. I really believe that we can look forward to some exciting times ahead. Keith will continue to build his Management Team over the next few days, as I said in the Club Statement.
Engaging with our existing players was absolutely essential and I have spoken to the players that were here last year and told them about Keith and Jason's appointments and this has been followed up by a call from Keith. We have lost some players so the new Management Team will have work to do assembling a squad, this is not easy at any point of the close season,let alone when most clubs have already started their pre season. I am confident that with Keith and Jason's networks we will not only assemble a squad, we will assemble a group of players that want to play for this Club and also a squad that want to achieve with this Club.
I would like to thank Joe Fuller for doing a sterling job as Caretaker Manager, it has been a dreadfully difficult task for him, none of us like uncertainty and we have had that aplenty. Joe made it clear to me that he wished to play football at this stage of his career, he wanted to concentrate ibis efforts on the pitch and didn't feel that he could do justice to having a foot in both coaching and playing. That said, as one of the senior players and with the knowledge of local football that he has, he will be feeding names to Keith where he believes that a player has the potential to pull on TWFC shirt.
My thanks also goes to the Board who have worked tirelessly to appoint Keith. Previously I mentioned the number of hours each Board Member was working, I also mentioned that people not only had their full time job but they also had lives and families. Well one of the group, yes it was a man! forgot a day of note in his life amid the mayhem of appointing our new manager. The day in question was the small matter of his Silver Wedding anniversary! This typifies the commitment the Board gives to the Club. Now that the dust has settled I think a gift of a bottle of champagne is in order.
So Team Tunbridge Wells enters a new phase of its history, a new manager, undoubtedly some new faces on the playing side but amidst this sea of change, believe it or not, we have stability. The Club has a long term vision of where we want to be and we have plans on how we are going to get there. Nothing in life is easy, but if the cause is worth fighting for, even in adversity, if we keep the belief, what happens is you come out the other side stronger from the experience. So let us all, whatever role we play, not forget our past but concentrate on our future, together and together alone we will be;
BIGGER BETTER, FASTER, FITTER, STRONGER
COYW
Clive Maynard
Chairman